Methods for generating hydrogen gas using plasma sources

ABSTRACT

Methods of making a fuel fluid are disclosed. A first working fluid and a second working fluid may be provided. The first working fluid may be exposed to a first high voltage electric field to produce a first fluid plasma, and the second working fluid may be exposed to a second high voltage electric field to produce a second fluid plasma. The first fluid plasma and the second fluid plasma may be contacted to form a fluid plasma mixture, which is transported to a heat exchange device. The fluid plasma mixture may be cooled to form a fuel fluid; and the fuel fluid may be collected.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a national phase application under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/US2013/058287, entitled “Methods for Generating Hydrogen Gas Using Plasma Sources,” and filed Sep. 5, 2013, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/697,148, entitled “Methods for Generating Fuel Materials and Power, and Sequestering Toxins Using Plasma Sources,” which was filed on Sep. 5, 2012. The aforementioned applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Fuel materials may take on a variety of forms, from simple gasses such as hydrogen to complex mixtures including aviation fuels. Due to their wide range of chemical compositions, chemical fuels may be generated through a variety of processes and may require facilities dedicated to synthesizing only a small number of possible fuel types. Such facilities may be optimized to generate only the fuels to which they are dedicated. Additionally, each facility may require a specific set of precursor materials for fuel synthesis.

Typically, carbon-based fuels rely on thermal methods for their synthesis. Such methods may include pyrolysis, cracking, and endothermic synthesis steps. Such processes may generate excessive heat as a by-product of their synthetic methods. Further, such thermal chemistry-based synthetic methods may not be efficient even for an optimized facility.

It is therefore desirable to develop a high efficiency method for generating gaseous and/or liquid fuel from a limited number of readily available feed stocks. Improved efficiency may be obtained in part by having the fuel generating facility also produce at least some electric power to lessen the facility's dependence on exterior power supplies.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a method of making a fuel fluid may include providing a first working fluid, exposing the first working fluid to a first high voltage electric field to produce a first fluid plasma, providing a second working fluid, exposing the second working fluid to a second high voltage electric field to produce a second fluid plasma, contacting the second fluid plasma with the first fluid plasma to form a fluid plasma mixture, transporting the fluid plasma mixture to a heat exchange device, cooling the fluid plasma mixture using the heat exchange device to form a fuel fluid, and collecting the fuel fluid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A depicts a block diagram for an illustrative system and process flow for generating a fuel fluid from at least one plasma source in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 1B depicts a block diagram of an illustrative high-voltage electric field generator according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of making a fuel fluid using plasma sources according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of exposing a working fluid to a high-voltage electric field according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of cooling a plasma mixture according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure is not limited to the particular systems, devices and methods described, as these may vary. The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope.

As used in this disclosure, the singular terms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Nothing in this disclosure is to be construed as an admission that the embodiments described in this disclosure are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention. As used in this disclosure, the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to.”

The following terms shall have, for the purposes of this application, the respective meanings set forth below.

A “fuel” refers to any composition of matter that provides a source of energy. Particular fuels that may be used herein include naphtha, diesel fuel, a diesel fuel blend, Jet Propellant 8 (JP-8) fuel, jet fuel, a jet fuel blend, or gasoline. Naphtha may be a process stream that contains predominantly five carbons and heavier chemical components. Naphtha may include a debutanized stream of cracked hydrocarbons that may be processed and used, for example, as a gasoline blending stock. Jet fuel may be a fuel that is generally suitable for use as an aviation fuel. Jet fuel may comply with one or more regulations or requirements, such as, for example, ASTM D 1655 Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels. In some embodiments, the jet fuel may be a liquid hydrocarbon fuel. In some embodiments, the jet fuel may include paraffins as a major component, as well as various aromatics and napthenes. A blend, such as the diesel fuel blend or the jet fuel blend, refers to a fuel blend that contains at least in part diesel fuel or jet fuel, respectively.

A “plasma torch” refers to any device capable of generating a directed flow of plasma. Illustrative plasma torches may include, but are not limited to, ionized gas plasma generating systems, such as Inductively Coupled Plasma, Transferred Arc DC Plasma, and Non-Transferred Arc DC Plasma. Plasma torches may be capable of reaching temperatures ranging of up to about 10,000° F. to about 20,000° F. (about 5,540° C. to about 11,080° C.), or more. Each plasma torch may be a portion of a plasma reactor, which is generally a combination of a plasma torch and a reaction vessel with which the plasma torch is used. As used herein, the term “torch” may be used synonymously with “plasma torch.”

In various embodiments described herein, a method of making a fuel fluid may include providing a first working fluid, exposing the first working fluid to a first high voltage electric field to produce a first fluid plasma, providing a second working fluid, exposing the second working fluid to a second high voltage electric field to produce a second fluid plasma, contacting the second fluid plasma with the first fluid plasma to form a fluid plasma mixture, transporting the fluid plasma mixture to a heat exchange device, cooling the fluid plasma mixture using the heat exchange device to form a fuel fluid, and collecting the fuel fluid.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram for an illustrative system and process flow for generating a fuel fluid from at least one plasma source in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the system, generally designated 100, may include one or more high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115, a processing chamber 120, a heat exchanger 125 and a fuel storage tank 130.

Each of the one or more high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 may generally be any of various components that may be used to generate a high voltage potential. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1B, each of the one or more high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 may have at least one anode surface 150, at least one cathode surface 155, and an electric potential 160 between the anode surface and the cathode surface. As a result, a magnetic field 165 and an electric field 170 may be generated when the electric potential 160 is applied between the at least one anode surface 150 and the at least one cathode surface 155. In some embodiments, a flow of gas, as described in greater detail herein and indicated by the horizontal arrow (Gas Flow A), may be substantially perpendicular to the magnetic field 165. In other embodiments, the flow of gas, as indicated by the vertical arrow (Gas Flow B), may be substantially parallel to the magnetic field 165. The magnetic field 165 and the electric field 170 may each have an effect on gas that flows through a gap between the anode surface 150 and the cathode surface 155. In a non-limiting example, the electric field 170 may stabilize the gas and/or ionize the gas. In another non-limiting example, the magnetic field 165 may alter a spin and/or a velocity of the gas.

Referring again to FIG. 1A, in some embodiments, each of the one or more high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 may be a plasma torch. While FIG. 1A depicts two high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115, those skilled in the art will recognize that any number of high-voltage electric fields may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, for example, the system 100 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more high-voltage electric fields.

It may be appreciated that a source of each of the one or more high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 may be controlled by one or more control systems (not shown). The one or more control systems may control all of the one or more high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 together and may be different from or included with a control system for the entire system 100. Alternatively, each of the one or more high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 may have a separate control system. A control system for a high-voltage electric field generator 110, 115 may include control functions for torch parameters, such as the voltage of the plasma torch and a frequency of the plasma torch. Control of the high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 may be based on one or more process measurements, including, but not limited to, a measurement of a voltage applied to components that generate the high-voltage electric field, a current drain of a voltage supply for high-voltage electric field generators, a temperature of the plasma output of the high-voltage electric field generators, and a composition of the plasma mixture in the processing chamber. It may further be appreciated that each of the high-voltage electric field generators (as illustrated by the high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115) may be controlled according to one or more process algorithms. The high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 may be controlled according to the same process methods and/or algorithms (as provided by individual controllers or a single controller). Alternatively, each of the high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 may be controlled according to a different process method and/or algorithm (as provided by individual controllers or by a single controller).

In operation, the first high voltage electric field generator 110 may be configured to receive a first working fluid, and the second high voltage electric field generator 115 may be configured to receive a second working fluid. In an embodiment, the first working fluid may be oxygen gas. In an embodiment, the second working fluid may be water vapor.

The processing chamber 120 as used herein may generally refer to any chamber that is capable of withstanding one or more processing conditions such as temperature, pressure, corrosion, and the like for the processes described hereinbelow. In some embodiments, the processing chamber 120 may be incorporated with the one or more high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115. In some embodiments, the processing chamber 120 may include one or more inlets for receiving plasma from the various high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 and at least one outlet for discharging a plasma mixture, as described in greater detail herein. An illustrative processing chamber 120 may be a plasma arc centrifugal treatment (PACT) system available from Retech Systems, LLC (Ukiah, Calif.), which includes at least one plasma torch.

In an embodiment, the processing chamber 120 may be maintained at a vacuum or near vacuum. In an embodiment, the processing chamber 120 may be maintained at a pressure of about 50 kPa to about 507 kPa (about 0.5 atmospheres to about 5 atmospheres), including about 50 kPa, about 100 kPa, about 150 kPa, about 200 kPa, about 250 kPa, about 300 kPa, about 350 kPa, about 400 kPa, about 450 kPa, about 500 kPa, about 507 kPa, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints).

The plasma mixture, while in the processing chamber 120, may attain temperatures of about 4000° C. to about 6000° C., as described in greater detail herein. Higher or lower temperatures may be attained according to various conditions under which the high-voltage electric field generators 110, 115 operate.

The plasma mixture may be cooled within the processing chamber 120, at an exit port of the processing chamber, in a transport device (such as a pipe or other conduit) at an exit of the processing chamber, or at a combination of these locations using a coolant addition device (not shown). In some embodiments, the coolant addition device may use a coolant to effect cooling. An illustrative coolant may include liquid oxygen (LOX). An amount of coolant introduced into the plasma mixture by the coolant addition device may be controlled by a control system. In some non-limiting examples, the amount of the coolant added to the plasma mixture may be controlled according to a temperature of the plasma mixture, a composition of the plasma mixture, or other measured parameters of the plasma mixture. In some embodiments, the control system may be associated only with the coolant addition device. In other embodiments, the control system may be incorporated into a system for controlling the entire system 100. The addition of the coolant to the plasma mixture may reduce the temperature of the resulting plasma mixture (an admixed plasma mixture) to about 1450° C. to about 1650° C., including about 1450° C., about 1500° C., about 1550° C., about 1600° C., about 1650° C., or any value or range between any two of these values. It may be further appreciated that the admixed plasma mixture may have a composition that is different from that of the plasma mixture.

The heat exchanger 125 may generally be a device that is configured to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another such as, for example, a gas to another gas, a gas to a liquid, a liquid to another liquid, and the like. Illustrative examples of the heat exchanger 125 may include a steam generating heat exchanger (i.e., a boiler), a gas-gas interchanger, a boiler feed water exchanger, a forced air exchanger, a cooling water exchanger, or a combination thereof. Use of a plurality of heat exchangers 125, each producing successively lower pressure steam levels, is contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the heat exchanger 125 may include a radiant heat exchanger, a convective heat exchanger, or a combination thereof. Steam and condensate may be generated from the heat exchange process and may include one or more steam products of different pressures.

In a particular embodiment, the heat exchanger 125 may be a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) such as, for example, a device manufactured by NEM (Leiden, Netherlands). The HRSG 125 may be configured so that no loss or degradation of the plasma mixture occurs when the HRSG receives the plasma mixture from the processing chamber 120. Thus, the HRSG 125 may be capable of withstanding various temperatures, pressures, corrosive chemicals, and the like when contacting the plasma mixture. In some embodiments, the HRSG 125 may be lined with a ceramic to assist in accommodating an elevated temperature of the plasma mixture. In some embodiments, the HRSG 125 may include a first inlet for receiving the plasma mixture or the admixed plasma mixture discharged from the processing chamber 120, a second inlet for receiving a fluid such as water, a first outlet for discharging steam, and a second outlet for discharging a cooled plasma mixture, as described in greater detail herein. In some embodiments, an amount of water that enters the heat exchanger 125 via the second inlet may be controlled by a control system, as described in greater detail herein. A heated heat exchange material, which may include steam as a non-limiting example, may exit the heat exchanger 125 by means of the first outlet. The heated heat exchange material may be further transported to a first electric turbine to generate a first supply of electric power.

In various embodiments, the heat exchange material may be water, which may be converted to a supply of steam in the heat exchanger 125. Once the supply of steam has activated the electric turbine, the supply of steam may be cooled to liquid water. In some embodiments, the liquid water may be returned to the heat exchanger 125 to be reheated by more of the plasma mixture or the admixed plasma mixture. Alternatively, the first supply of steam, after activating the electric turbine, may be returned to a working fluid source to be supplied to one or more of the high-voltage electric fields 110, 115.

The fuel storage tank 130 is not limited by this disclosure, and may generally be any vessel configured to at least receive fuel from the heat exchanger 125. In addition, the fuel storage tank 130 may, for example, be used to store fuel, transport fuel, dispense fuel, and/or the like.

In various embodiments, the system 100 may further include a gas separator (not shown). The gas separator may include, for example, a membrane separation system, a molecular sieve, or a combination thereof. The gas separator may generally be used to separate various components described herein, and may optionally deposit the separated components into various gas holding containers. The gas holding containers, such as an O₂ container, may each include an outflow metering device. Each outflow metering device may be controlled by a controller. Alternatively, the outflow metering devices of each of the individual gas holding containers may be controlled by the same controller. Each gas holding container may also have a gas output port associated with the corresponding outflow metering device. Each gas output port may direct the gas from the corresponding gas holding container into a common supply duct.

The outflow metering devices of each of the gas holding containers may be controlled to permit an amount of gas into the common supply duct to create a cooled plasma mixture having a controlled composition, as described in greater detail herein. In one non-limiting example, the cooled plasma mixture may be controlled based on one or more gas composition sensors associated with the common supply duct. In another non-limiting example, the cooled mixture may be controlled based on a volume of gas emitted by the outflow metering devices of each of the individual gas holding containers. In yet another non-limiting example, the cooled plasma mixture may be controlled based on the pressure of gas contained in each of the individual gas holding containers. Accordingly, various ratios of the components of the cooled plasma mixture, as described in greater detail herein, may be obtained.

FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of making a fuel fluid using plasma sources according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the method may include providing 205 a first working fluid and providing 215 a second working fluid. In one non-limiting embodiment, the first working fluid may be oxygen gas (O₂) and the second working fluid may be water vapor (H₂O).

It may be appreciated that the O₂ and H₂O in the first processing chamber may be used as working fluids for respective plasma torches, as described herein. Thus, each gas may be exposed to a high-voltage electric field. As a result of such exposure, the gases may be reduced to free radical species. For example, H₂O may be reduced to a hydroxyl radical OH. and O₂ may be reduced to a superoxide anion radical O2.⁻. In addition, the gases may be reduced to ionized species. For example, O₂ may be reduced to O⁻, O₂ ⁻, O₂ ⁺, and/or O⁺. The types and amounts of reactive species created by exposure of the gases to high-voltage electric fields may differ from those generated by exposure of the gases to heat alone.

Each working fluid may be supplied by its own working fluid source. In one non-limiting example, O₂ may be supplied from an O₂ source, and water vapor (H₂O) may be supplied from an H₂O source. It may be recognized that control of the fluid plasma from each of the high voltage field sources may also include control of the amount of working fluid supplied to each of the high voltage field sources. Although not shown, it is apparent that the working fluid supply sources for the O₂ and H₂O, may also include control and measurement components. Such components may include, without limitation, components to control the amount of the working fluid supplied by each of the working fluid supply sources (valves) and devices to measure the amount of each of the working fluid supplied (such as, for example, by measuring chemical composition or pressure of the gas delivered). It may be further understood that such measurement and control devices may be controlled by one or more control systems, as disclosed above. In some embodiments, the control systems may be specific to one or more of the working fluid supply sources. In other embodiments, all the working fluid supply sources may be controlled by the same control system. In some embodiments, the working fluid supply sources may be controlled by a control system common to the entire power generation system.

Although not illustrated herein, an embodiment may include two working fluids, illustrated by O₂ and H₂O, that may be combined into a combined working fluid before being supplied to a high-voltage electric field generator. As a non-limiting example, the O₂ and the H₂O may be combined into a single combined working fluid to be supplied to a high-voltage electric field generator, such as 110 (FIG. 1). By extension, the controllers associated with each of the supply sources for the O₂ and the H₂O may cause a specific amount of each gas to be added to the combined working fluid to produce an optimized ratio of gases. Similarly, the controller associated with a single plasma torch may cause the plasma torch to operate under optimum conditions for a specific ratio of gases in the combined working fluid.

The first working fluid may be exposed 210 to a high-voltage electric field to generate a first plasma. As shown in FIG. 3, exposing 210 the first working fluid to the high-voltage electric field may include providing 305 an anode surface and providing 310 a cathode surface. The anode surface and the cathode surface may be separated by a distance to create a gap between the two surfaces. The distance may generally be selected such that (for the electrical voltage selected), the electrical field is about 0.3 kV/cm to about 8.0 kV/cm, including about 0.3 kV/cm, about 0.3149 kV/cm, about 0.5 kV/cm, about 0.75 kV/cm, about 1.0 kV/cm, about 1.25 kV/cm, about 1.5 kV/cm, about 1.574 kV/cm, about 2.0 kV/cm, about 2.5 kV/cm, about 3.0 kV/cm, about 3.149 kV/cm, about 3.5 kV/cm, about 4.0 kV/cm, about 4.5 kV/cm, about 5.0 kV/cm, about 5.5 kV/cm, about 6.0 kV/cm, about 6.5 kV/cm, about 7.0 kV/cm, about 7.5 kV/cm, about 7.559 kV/cm, about 8.0 kV/cm, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). Illustrative distances may be about 0.15 cm to about 0.65 cm, including about 0.15 cm, about 0.20 cm, about 0.25 cm, about 0.30 cm, about 0.3175 cm, about 0.35 cm, about 0.40 cm, about 0.45 cm, about 0.50 cm, about 0.55 cm, about 0.60 cm, about 0.65 cm, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints).

A first high voltage electric potential may be induced 315 between the anode surface and the cathode surface, and the first working fluid may be induced 320 to traverse the gap between the two surfaces. In one non-limiting embodiment, the first high voltage potential may be about 2.4 kV times the gap distance in centimeters to about 60 kV times the gap distance in centimeters, including about 5 kV, about 10 kV, about 20 kV, about 30 kV, about 40 kV, about 50 kV, about 60 kV, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). In an embodiment, a voltage between the anode surface and the cathode surface (which are separated by 0.3175 cm) is 2.4 kV, thereby resulting in an electrical field of about 7.559 kV/cm. In another non-limiting embodiment, the first high voltage electric potential may be an AC potential having a frequency of about 1 MHz to about 50 MHz, including about 1 MHz, about 5 MHz, about 10 MHz, about 20 MHz, about 25 MHz, about 30 MHz, about 40 MHz, about 50 MHz, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). In another non-limiting embodiment, the first high-voltage electric potential may have a current of about 100 Amperes to about 1000 Amperes, including about 100 Amperes, about 200 Amperes, about 300 Amperes, about 400 Amperes, about 500 Amperes, about 600 Amperes, about 700 Amperes, about 800 Amperes, about 900 Amperes, about 1000 Amperes, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints).

Referring back to FIG. 2, the second working fluid may be exposed 220 to a high-voltage electric field to generate a second plasma. As shown in FIG. 3, exposing 220 the second working fluid to the high-voltage electric field may include providing 305 an anode surface and providing 310 a cathode surface. The anode surface and the cathode surface may be separated by a distance to create a gap between the two surfaces. The distance may generally be selected such that (for the electrical voltage selected), the electrical field is about 0.3 kV/cm to about 8.0 kV/cm, including about 0.3 kV/cm, about 0.3149 kV/cm, about 0.5 kV/cm, about 0.75 kV/cm, about 1.0 kV/cm, about 1.25 kV/cm, about 1.5 kV/cm, about 1.574 kV/cm, about 2.0 kV/cm, about 2.5 kV/cm, about 3.0 kV/cm, about 3.149 kV/cm, about 3.5 kV/cm, about 4.0 kV/cm, about 4.5 kV/cm, about 5.0 kV/cm, about 5.5 kV/cm, about 6.0 kV/cm, about 6.5 kV/cm, about 7.0 kV/cm, about 7.5 kV/cm, about 7.559 kV/cm, about 8.0 kV/cm, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). Illustrative distances may be about 0.15 cm to about 0.65 cm, including about 0.15 cm, about 0.20 cm, about 0.25 cm, about 0.30 cm, about 0.3175 cm, about 0.35 cm, about 0.40 cm, about 0.45 cm, about 0.50 cm, about 0.55 cm, about 0.60 cm, about 0.65 cm, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints).

A second high voltage electric potential may be induced 315 between the anode surface and the cathode surface, and the second working fluid may be induced 320 to traverse the gap between the two surfaces. In one non-limiting embodiment, the second high voltage potential may be about 2.4 kV times the gap distance in centimeters to about 60 kV times the gap distance in centimeters, including about 2.4 kV, 5 kV, about 10 kV, about 20 kV, about 30 kV, about 40 kV, about 50 kV, about 60 kV, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). In an embodiment, a voltage between the anode surface and the cathode surface (which are separated by 0.3175 cm) is 2.4 kV, thereby resulting in an electrical field of about 7.559 kV/cm. In another non-limiting embodiment, the second high voltage electric potential may be an AC potential having a frequency of about 1 MHz to about 50 MHz, including about 1 MHz, about 5 MHz, about 10 MHz, about 20 MHz, about 25 MHz, about 30 MHz, about 40 MHz, about 50 MHz, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). In another non-limiting embodiment, the second high-voltage electric potential may have a current of about 100 Amperes to about 1000 Amperes, including about 100 Amperes, about 200 Amperes, about 300 Amperes, about 400 Amperes, about 500 Amperes, about 600 Amperes, about 700 Amperes, about 800 Amperes, about 900 Amperes, about 1000 Amperes, or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints).

It may be understood that the anode and cathode surfaces contacting the first working fluid and the second working fluid may be the same set of surfaces or they may be different sets of surfaces. If each working fluid contacts an independent pair of anode and cathode surfaces, the respective gap distances may be essentially the same or different, and high voltage electric potentials to which the working fluids are exposed may have essentially the same or different characteristics.

In one non-limiting example, exposing 210 the first working fluid to a first high-voltage electric field may include causing the first working fluid to pass through a first plasma torch. In another non-limiting example, exposing 220 the second working fluid to a second high-voltage electric field may include causing the second working fluid to pass through a second plasma torch. The first working fluid and the second working fluid may pass through the same plasma torch or may pass through separate plasma torches. In addition, the first working fluid and the second working fluid may pass through a plasma torch consecutively or may pass through a plasma torch at substantially the same time.

In some embodiments, exposing 210, 220 the various working fluids to various high-voltage electric fields may cause the various plasmas to reach a temperature of about 36,032° F. (20,000° C.). The temperature may be sufficiently high to enable effective disassociation of various individual compounds in each of the various working fluids, as previously described herein.

The first and second plasmas may be contacted 225 in any temporal or spatial order to form a plasma mixture. For example, the first plasma and the second plasma may be contacted 225 by directing the first plasma to mix with the second plasma or directing the second plasma to mix with the first plasma, or directing the first plasma and the second plasma to mix together. Contacting 225 the first plasma and the second plasma may form a plasma mixture of the two plasmas. In some non-limiting embodiments, the plasma mixture may have a temperature of about 7232° F. to about 10,832° F. (about 4000° C. to about 6000° C.), including about 4000° C., about 4250° C., about 4500° C., about 4750° C., about 5000° C., about 5250° C., about 5500° C., about 5750° C., about 6000° C., or any value or range between any two of these values (including endpoints). Thus, the plasma mixture may cool from the initial temperatures of the first and second plasmas upon passing through the respective high-voltage electrical fields.

In some embodiments, the plasma mixture may be transported 230 to the heat exchanger. Transporting 230 is not limited by this disclosure, and may be via any method of transport. Any number of pumps, conduit, channels, ducts, pipes, and/or the like may be used to transport 230 the fuel.

In various embodiments, the plasma mixture may be cooled 235 to a temperature of about 100° F. to about 2950° F. (about 38° C. to about 1620° C.), including about 38° C., about 100° C., about 150° C., about 200° C., about 250° C., about 500° C., about 800° C., about 1100° C., about 1400° C., about 1600° C., about 1620° C., or any value or range between any of these values (including endpoints). In particular embodiments, the plasma mixture may be cooled 235 to a temperature of about 100° F. to about 400° F. (about 38° C. to about 204° C.). In some embodiments, cooling 235 may effect a change in composition of the plasma mixture, such as dissociation of various components, as described herein. Thus, the components may be separated via a gas separator and directed to various holding containers, as described in greater detail herein.

In some embodiments, such as is shown in FIG. 4, cooling 235 may be completed by contacting 405 the plasma mixture with a heat exchanger within a heat exchange device, such as, for example, a HRSG, to produce a cooled plasma mixture. In some embodiments, the heat exchanged from the plasma mixture may be conveyed 410 by the heat exchange device to provide heat to a recovery steam generator, as described in greater detail herein. The steam generated by the heat transfer to the recovery steam generator may provide preheated water vapor that may be used at least in part as the second working fluid for conversion into a plasma. Accordingly, the steam generated by the heat transfer may increase an efficiency of the systems and methods described herein by providing a reusable heat source. In some embodiments, the recovery steam generator may use the heat from the plasma mixture to heat and vaporize 415 a vaporizable fluid (such as liquid water or the like). The resulting vaporized fluid (e.g., the steam) may be directed to and contacted 420 with a steam-powered electrical turbine. The steam-powered electrical turbine may, in turn, generate electric power that may be used, at least in part, for providing electrical power to the system described herein and/or a facility used to generate the fuel.

In various embodiments, cooling 245 the plasma mixture may include cooling with liquid oxygen (O₂) to reduce the plasma mixture from a first temperature to a second temperature. The first temperature, as described herein, may be about 7232° F. to about 10,832° F. (about 4000° C. to about 6000° C.). The second temperature, as described herein, may be about 4892° F. to about 5432° F. (about 2700° C. to about 3000° C.). This cooling 245 may allow for a split of O₂ and H₂O in the plasma mixture to become O⁻ and O⁺, H⁺ and OH⁻, and/or H⁻ and OH⁺. The cooling 245 may further allow for thermal chemical reconversion, thereby resulting in compounds H₂, H₂O, O₂, and/or H₂O₂.

In various embodiments, the fuel may be collected 240. Collection is not limited by this disclosure, and may include any form of collection, storage, transport, dispensing, and/or the like. For example, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the fuel may be collected 240 in the fuel storage tank 130 (FIG. 1).

The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated in this disclosure, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds, or compositions, which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms in this disclosure, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth in this disclosure for sake of clarity. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used in this disclosure, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). While various compositions, methods, and devices are described in terms of “comprising” various components or steps (interpreted as meaning “including, but not limited to”), the compositions, methods, and devices can also “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps, and such terminology should be interpreted as defining essentially closed-member groups.

It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or, “B” or “A and B.”

As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed in this disclosure also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed in this disclosure can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” and the like include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of making a fuel fluid, the method comprising: providing a first working fluid of oxygen gas; exposing the first working fluid to a first high voltage electric field to produce a first fluid plasma; providing a second working fluid of water vapor; exposing the second working fluid to a second high voltage electric field to produce a second fluid plasma; contacting the second fluid plasma with the first fluid plasma to form a fluid plasma mixture; transporting the fluid plasma mixture to a heat exchange device; cooling the fluid plasma mixture using the heat exchange device to form a fuel fluid; and collecting the fuel fluid.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the first working fluid to a first high voltage electric field comprises: providing an anode surface; providing a cathode surface at a distance from the anode surface to create a gap between the anode surface and the cathode surface; providing a high voltage electric potential between the anode surface and the cathode surface; and causing the first working fluid to traverse the gap.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the high voltage electric potential is about 5 kV/cm times the distance in centimeters to about 60 kV/cm times the distance in centimeters.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first high voltage electric potential has a frequency of about 1 MHz to about 50 MHz.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the second working fluid to a second high voltage electric field comprises: providing an anode surface; providing a cathode surface at a distance from the anode surface to create a gap between the anode surface and the cathode surface; providing a high voltage electric potential between the anode surface and the cathode surface; and causing the second working fluid to traverse the gap.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the high voltage electric potential is about 2.4 kV times the distance in centimeters to about 60 kV times the distance in centimeters.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second high voltage electric potential has a frequency of about 1 MHz to about 50 MHz.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the first working fluid to a first high voltage electric field comprises causing the first working fluid to pass through a first plasma torch.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the second working fluid to a second high voltage electric field comprises causing the second working fluid to pass through a second plasma torch.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein: exposing the first working fluid to a first high voltage electric field comprises causing the first working fluid to pass through a plasma torch, and exposing the second working fluid to a second high voltage electric field comprises causing the second working fluid to pass through the plasma torch.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein contacting the second fluid plasma with the first fluid plasma comprises directing the second fluid plasma to mix with the first fluid plasma, directing the first fluid plasma to mix with the second fluid plasma, or directing the second fluid plasma and directing the first fluid plasma to mix together.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid plasma mixture has an initial temperature of about 7232° F. (4000° C.) to about 36032° F. (20000° C.).
 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: cooling the plasma mixture using a coolant prior to transporting the plasma mixture to the heat exchange device.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the coolant comprises liquid oxygen.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein cooling the fluid plasma mixture comprises cooling the fluid plasma mixture to a temperature of about 100° F. (38° C.) to about 2950° F. (1620° C.).
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange device is a heat recovery steam generator.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second working fluid comprises at least in part an amount of steam generated by the heat recovery steam generator.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel fluid is hydrogen.
 19. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing a processing chamber comprising a plurality of inlets and at least one outlet, wherein contacting the second fluid plasma mixture with the first fluid plasma comprises contacting the second fluid plasma with the first fluid plasma in the processing chamber.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the processing chamber maintains an internal pressure between 50 kPa and 507 kPa. 